"What is that?" Master Yuan was astonished.
Bailu Academy started in the late Tang Dynasty, flourished during the Song Dynasty and has been around for a thousand years by now. Generation after generation of notable figures have erged from it, making it one of the four great academies.
This Master Yuan, who was able to teach there, was naturally extraordinary in scholarship but was obsessed with ancient artifacts, hence he appeared a bit foolish after entering the tomb.
It surely wasn’t sothing ordinary that could surprise him.
Originally pitch black, the tomb was lit with clusters of fireballs that seed to be ignited by themselves, as if soone was controlling them.
Upon closer inspection, they were lanterns.
Everlasting Lamps were not uncommon; ancient Fangshi had already devised the formula. Common folks called them rfolk Lamps, which was not the case.
Sima Qian once wrote that in the Emperor Mausoleum, candles made of rfolk grease burned perpetually, giving rise to the notion of rfolk Lamps.
However, rfolk were very rare even if they did exist in this world, and it was not possible to capture them in large numbers, let alone turning them into lamp oil.
In Divine State, countless users of Everlasting Lamps could never have found so many rfolk.
The "Taiping Imperial Encyclopedia" once recorded that Emperor Qin saw a huge fish at Fu Mountain that was as big as a hill. When shot, the fish’s grease flowed for nine hectares.
Thus, the Everlasting Lamps used whale fat.
Whale fat was smokeless, odorless, durable, and had always been a top-choice for court use. Moreover, with Fangshi’s secret recipe, it could be preserved for a thousand years without decaying. Together with phosphorus fire cords, once the tomb opened and air circulated, it would spontaneously ignite.
All these were tales Zhao Lvzi had told.
While whale fat might have been rare before, since the previous dynasties began to flourish, whale hunting in Leizhou Prefecture had beco famous far and wide, and the fat naturally flowed into the hos of the rich and powerful. Those with money and a taste for luxury would use it.
What truly astonished everyone were the artifacts inside the tomb.
Similar to ordinary royal tombs, this tomb had a front hall, rear chamber, and two side rooms. Coffins were usually placed in the rear chamber.
Right upon entering the front hall, a pottery tower ca into view.
Pottery towers in tombs were not rare. They had existed since Ancient Tis as a funeral custom, symbolizing the abode of the deceased.
This trend reached its peak during the Han Dynasty. Almost every tomb of aristocratic families had one, big and small.
So even had pottery jars at the bottom and pottery towers on the top filled with birds, corridors, and musicians in exquisite style, known as "Five Grains Bags" and "pottery warehouses."
Generally, their size wasn’t too large.
But the pottery tower before them was as tall as an entire floor, blocking the front hall. Its base towered majestically with massive brackets, embodying the grandeur typical of court architecture from the Tang Dynasty.
The tower’s base occupied half of it, resembling a flattened pyramid, and on top were three stories with flying eaves, brackets, colonnades, and railings, all lifelike.
"Such a wonderful thing!"
Master Yuan’s eyes nearly popped out as sweat ford on his forehead, his voice trembling uncontrollably as he stepped forward.
"Be careful!"
Li Yan grabbed him, took a deep breath, and frowned, "There are chanisms inside this pottery tower, and they are quite complex."
After speaking, he turned to look at the officials from the Ministry of Industry, "Since these things were left for your Mo Sect, there must be a way to solve them, do you know?"
These officials, though low in rank, were all disciples of the Mo Sect.
Their leader was also sowhat excited, "To be honest, the Mo Sect units and heritage have been lost long ago. We too are hearing this for the first ti, but we can attempt to solve it."
Saying this, they and their colleagues took out Lu Ban rulers, compasses, and various strange asuring tools.
They didn’t rashly proceed but asured inch by inch, tapping the stone walls with small hamrs and even watching the shadows in the light of the fires.
After a busy session, one of them finally said, "The bottom is solid, it seems that the entire tomb has been swallowed by ’carnivorous vegetation.’"
"The art of chanisms usually relies on flowing sand or underground rivers to drive it because relying purely on gears is not safe as they rust over ti."
"Even if there are chanisms, they’re probably all destroyed..."
"Bricks eight inches long, most auspicious!"
"All these are heavenly wealth and official fortune; this tomb is no deadly place!"
Li Yan didn’t understand their terminology but knew what they ant; there was no great danger in this tomb.
That would make sense; this was ant to be an inheritance. Just the two Tomb Guardian Beasts were scary enough; adding more trouble would an descendants might not get anything.
Hoo~
But then, a strange noise arose.
From inside the pottery tower ca clinking, and then hot steam rose from the tower.
For a mont, white fog enveloped the place like a fairyland.
"Back off!"
Cheng Jue frowned and instructed everyone to retreat.
The white steam was simply from boiling water and wasn’t Yin Fog or Evil Qi, nor did it contain poison. But caution was still necessary.
At his command, several Martial Monks stepped forward with iron shields, protecting everyone behind them.
Click, click, click!
As the chanisms of the pottery tower activated, the doors of the three stories above opened neatly. Then, one after another, terracotta figures appeared, each holding gongs, drums, chi bells, and other instrunts, striking up a pleasant lody.
"Is this... ’The Dance of the Feathered Garnt’?"
Master Yuan’s eyes were wide, and he exclaid excitedly, "Amazing craftsmanship, truly amazing!"
By now, everyone had realized that the pottery tower, though chanical, had no intent to harm; it was simply showing off its inventiveness.
One of the officials from the Ministry of Industry also shook his head in admiration, "Recently, a Chamber of Comrce brought over a music box from overseas, but this is far more brilliant."
After "The Dance of the Feathered Garnt" ended, the small terracotta figures retracted into the palace, but another group ca running out, also playing lodiously, but this ti it was "Three Refrains of Yang Pass."
Everyone marveled at the exquisite chanism on display.
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